Healing Paws: Enhancing Lives Animal-Assisted Activities
About Healing Paws:
Launched in January 2014, Healing Paws is a
program that brings comfort and
companionship to various communities
through Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA).
Volunteers and their dogs visit
children’s homes, elderly homes, and
hospices, providing much-needed emotional
support and motivation.
Understanding AAA
AAA involves casual interactions with animals to improve the emotional and physical well-being of participants. This contrasts with Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), which is more structured and goal-oriented.
AAA sessions are usually casual, and include “meet and greet” activities that involve pets and their handlers visiting people in homes and institutions. The length and content of the visit is spontaneous and depends on the quality of the interaction between the patient and animal. The sessions are also not tailored to a particular person or medical condition.
Benefits:
Interacting with animals through
AAA has numerous documented benefits. These include:
– Emotional Support: Animals
provide unconditional love and companionship, which can reduce feelings of loneliness and
depression.
– Stress Reduction: Petting and spending time with animals can lower cortisol levels and blood pressure, leading to a sense of calm and relaxation.
– Social Interaction: Animals can facilitate socialization, helping people to connect with others and improve their communication skills.
– Physical Health: Regular interaction with animals can encourage physical activity, such as walking or playing, which is beneficial for overall health.
– Mental Stimulation: Engaging with animals can provide mental stimulation, which is especially important for the elderly and those in long-term care facilities.
Volunteering:
To join Healing Paws, your dog should be friendly, calm, and well-behaved. They must
pass an assessment and be older than 1 years of age.
To sign up please click here : https://sosd.org.sg/join-us/volunteer-with-healing-paws/
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